The Game of Silence

By Louise Erdrich

Erdrich, Louise. 2005. The Game of Silence. NY, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN:0-06-029789-1

PLOT SUMMARY:

Omakayas and her family live out on an island in Lake Superior.  It is the year of 1850 and a group of strange desperate people come across the lake and into the lives of the Ojibwe people. These people tell stories of the white ones coming in and talking away their land.  The people fled talking only what they had on them.  Some were left behind and captured.

CRITCAL ANALYSIS:

. Omakayas is just like any other young girl playing with her dolls and going out to her favorite place among the rocks.  We can see depth in her character through her experiences of the death of her younger brother and her attachment to the motherless child.  Omakayas is a passionate girl.

The plot of the story describes the time in history when the white people came in and changed the Native American’s way of life.  We can see the horror and pain it caused them.  The plot is not sugar coated, it is honest and real.

The author’s description of the area Omakayas lives in is beautiful and vivid.  Omakayas enjoys this place at the edge of the water where there are large flat rocks to step on.  The reader can picture that place and image what it would be like to visit there.  

CONNECTIONS:

*This book can be connected to a study on Native Americans

*It can also be read around Thanks Giving to give some background to the holiday.

*Research can be done to see what happened to the Native Americans when the pilgrims came over.

REVIEWS:

In addition to an abundance of details about life through the seasons, Erdrich deals with the wider meaning of family and Omakayas' coming-of-age on a vision quest. ~ Booklist

Turtle in Paradise

By Jennifer Holm

Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. Turtle in Paradise. NY, NY: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN:978-0-375-93688-3

PLOT SUMMARY:

Turtle is a young girl living with her Momma.  Momma is a housekeeper. Momma and Turtle don’t last long in any one place because Turtle has trouble with all the other children.  Momma gets hired by Mrs. Budnick who does not like children, so Momma sends Turtle down to Key West to live with her Aunt Minerva.  When Turtle arrives in Key West, her Aunt is surprised to see her.  Minerva never received her sister’s letter saying Turtle was coming.  At first it is all very odd for Turtle but after a while she really begins to like Key West.

CRITCAL ANALYSIS:

Turtle has a rough life moving around with Momma from job to job.  Turtle does not trust anyone and she particularly dislikes children.  The setting begins in New Jersey then moves to Key West.  The description of New Jersey is vague and the reader does not know they were until they arrive in Key West. Key West is vividly described so that the reader can picture what it looked like when Turtle arrived there.  Key West does not seem to be an overly beautiful place but Turtle loves the green peeking out everywhere.  The people of Key West are like the area, quirky and different, which seems to put Turtle more at ease.  She relaxes and finally begins to open up. 

The author’s style changes throughout the story to match the settings.  When the story begins in New Jersey she talks like a typical New Jersey resident would and as she moves down south, the southern drawl is added in.

CONNECTIONS:

*In this story we can look at geography, the route of Turtle’s trip can be traced on a map from New Jersey to Key West.

*Maps of Key West from 1953 when the story takes place can be compared to maps of today.  The reader can gain a perspective of how different the area was back then.

REVIEWS:

Eleven-year-old Turtle is not one to suffer fools gladly. And she runs into a lot of fools, especially the no-goods her starry-eyed mother meets. So it's a tough little Turtle who arrives in Key West in June of 1935. ~ Booklist

Catherine Called Birdy

By Karen Cushman

Cushman, Karen. 1994. Catherine Called Birdy. NY, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN:0-395-68186-3

PLOT SUMMARY:

This is a story of a girl growing in England during medieval times.  When the time comes to marry her off, her father chooses an ugly older man for her. Ever since she was young, Catherine dreamed of marrying a prince so she is very disappointed by the man she was offered. Time passes and she hears that the man died in a bar fight over a tavern mistress.  Catherine is relieved by this news but is also told that the son, Stephen wishes to honor the marriage.  Catherine feels that this is not better or worse than her previous position. 

CRITCAL ANALYSIS:

Catherine’s character is real and believable; we can see and feel the displeasure and angst with growing up not rich enough and being placed with an ugly husband. The plot of the story will not be one that children are familiar with.  The way things were done during these times are very different from the way things are done now.  The children will have trouble with concept of daughters being sold to the highest bidder. The story is set in medieval England, which is very apparent by the language used.  The imagery helps the reader image an old English manor out in the countryside with people who are trying to use their daughter to bring them up in society.  The people spoke differently back then and had different values. 

CONNECTIONS:

*This story would make a good plan to work on in class.  The students could each take parts and create story scenes in groups.  

*This story could also be joined with a social studies unit on the medieval times.

REVIEWS:

"The period has rarely been presented for young people with such authenticity; the exotic details will intrigue readers while they relate more closely to Birdy’s yen for independence and her sensibilities toward the downtrodden.”—Kirkus Reviews,

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

By Candace Fleming

Fleming, Candace.2008.The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. NY, NY: Random House. ISBN: 978-0-375-93618-0

SUMMARY:

This book details the life of Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s lives up until their deaths. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The scrapbook format shows an image and then explains it in a short blurb below or around it. Included in this book is a timeline that details the direction of the book. The book begins with a young Lincoln and ends at Mary Lincoln’s death in 1882.  There is full bibliography listing at the end of the book shows the many sources the author consulted while writing this book. The images used in this book were scanned directly from the 140 plus years old album in the Keya Morgan collection.

CONNECTIONS:

*This book can begin the study of the presidents of the United States.

*It can also be interesting to study the President’s wives.  This book can begin a unit about the presidents and their wives.

* Ben Franklin's Almanac: Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman's Life

By Candace Fleming

* Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life

By Candace Fleming

REVIEW:

What did this backwoods boy and this bluegrass girl have in common? Using her signature scrapbook approach, Fleming lays out the answer in a biography that gives equal emphasis to Abraham and Mary Lincoln for an insightful portrait of their lives.

School Library Journal

Fleming’s writing, filled with quotes and personal details, is just as lively as the assortment of images, and an extensive time line, suggested resources, and source notes round out the text. Starting with her personal introduction, this exemplary resource will prompt readers to consider how an individual’s life story, and a country’s history, are constructed.

Booklist

Animals in Flight

By Steve Jenkins

Jenkins, Steve. 2001.Animals in Flight. NY, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 0-618-12351-2

SUMMARY:

Look at wings and the creatures that have them.  Check out insects, dinosaurs, and birds to see when, why, and how they go up in the air.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Young boys will love the images of bugs included in this book.  All of the images are artwork and not actual photographs which adds a level of interest. Each page contains large images and short blurbs about many different winged creatures.  The book contains a photo dictionary at the end of the book which shows pictures and information about all the animals in the book.

The layout was a little confusing and it was hard to tell where the author was going next.  Every page was a surprise from dinosaurs to bats to insects.  A child reading this book may find the surprise to be part of the fun.

CONNECTIONS:

*What winged creatures did the book talk about, did the author miss any?

*What images does the title of the book evoke? Create a new cover for the book.

*Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

*Biggest, Strongest, Fastest by Steve Jenkins

REVIEW:

Jenkins's trademark illustrations, watercolor cut-paper collage, are perfect for this exploration of wings. From the striped, transparent wings of the ancient dragonfly to the crushed, leathery wings of the vampire bat, each illustration captures the uniqueness of the appendage it portrays.

School Library Journal

KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD’S STRANGES PARROT

By Sy Montgomery

Sy, Montgomery. 2010. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot. NY, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0-618-49417-0

SUMMARY:

The Kakapo Parrot remains only on the island of Codfish off the coast of New Zealand.   On this island, the New Zealand’s National Kakapo Recovery Team is working to restore the population from the 91 remaining birds. The book follows the author, Sy Montgomery on his journal to Codfish Island and the Kakapo Rescue.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The cover of this book has colorful text in a new and interesting font. The book begins with a map that shows the geographic location of this rescue.  Each page that follows has an image, graphic, or table on it with interesting information.

The first paragraph of the book talks about a specific parrot named Lisa and intrigues the reader by telling them that Lisa’s nest is underground.  The book also gives interesting facts about the parrots; these facts are odd and show that the Kakapo is unlike all the other birds.  This material will engage readers.

The biography at the end of the book is short; containing only five sources but the author worked with the Kakapo Conservation in New Zealand which makes the book for credible. The information is laid out logically and addresses the many parts of the Kakapo rescue and how they live.

CONNECTIONS:

*Study regular parrots and note the differences between the Kakapo parrot and other parrots.

*Consider how the bone and muscle structure would vary on a Kakapo parrot.

*Visit the website www.kakaporecovery.org.nz and learn more about the recovery efforts.

*Think about other animals that have become extinct and consider how a rescue would have changed that.

REVIEW:

Take a parrot. Color it green. Give it soft, fluffy feathers, and whiskers. Give it sumo proportions and take away its power of flight. Make it nocturnal, and have it nest underground. Aha! A kakapo!

School Library Journal